Satellite Constellation Management With Automated Orbital Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual management of large satellite constellations is labor-intensive, costly, and inefficient, particularly as the number of satellites increases, leading to potential safety and efficacy issues.
Innovation Solution
A constellation management system (CMS) that acquires and utilizes data from various sources to maintain situational awareness of the orbital environment and the constellation, enabling automated planning and execution of satellite operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual management methods are used for satellite constellations, then operational control can be maintained, but labor intensity and costs increase significantly as the number of satellites grows
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables satellites to autonomously perform operations such as collision avoidance maneuvers, orbital maintenance, and payload operations by automatically processing space situation awareness data and executing planned activities without human intervention
Solution Approach 2:
Manual operational control is replaced by an automated computer-based system that processes space situation data, generates operational plans, and executes commands to manage satellite constellations
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of satellites in the constellation increases, then service coverage and capability improve, but management efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The space situation awareness system and management platform are designed to handle multiple satellite types and various operational tasks simultaneously, providing universal functionality that scales with constellation size without proportionally increasing management complexity
3Reliability
If manual management processes are used, then safety can be monitored, but response time to dynamic events becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously processes space situation awareness data and proactively identifies potential collision risks and operational issues before they materialize, generating preventive operational plans in advance to ensure timely safety responses
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous monitoring of satellite positions and space environment, with automated feedback loops that detect anomalies and trigger appropriate operational responses to maintain safety
4Productivity
If automated systems are implemented to manage large constellations, then management efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management system is divided into modular components including space situation awareness processing, operational plan generation, and satellite control functions, allowing independent development, testing, and maintenance of each module
Data Source
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AI summary
A constellation of many satellites provide communication between devices such as user terminals (UTs) and ground stations that are connected to other networks, such as the Internet. A constellation management system (CMS) facilitates management and operation of the satellites in the constellation and facilitates information exchange with other authorized systems to provide for situationally aware operation. The CMS may ingest data such as satellite telemetry, space weather data, object ephemeris data about other orbital objects, and so forth. The CMS uses the ingested data to automatically operate satellites to perform routine activities such as station keeping maneuvers, maintenance activities, interference mitigation, and so forth. Confirmation from a human operator may be obtained before performing some activities. Activities may be planned and coordinated to minimize resource consumption for the individual satellite as well as the constellation. Output, such as ephemeris data, may be provided to other parties as well.